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Chichʹivache (3 syl.)

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French for the “sorry cow,” a monster that lived only on good women—all skin and bone, because its food was so extremely scarce. The old English romancers invented another monster, which they called Bicorn, as fat as the other was lean; but, luckily, he had for foodgood and enduring husbands,” of which there is no lack. (See Bicorn.)

“O noble wyvës, ful of heigh prudenʹce,

Let noon humilitie your tongës nayle,

Ne lat no clerk have cause of diligenʹce

To write of you a story of such mervayle

As of Griseldes, pacient and kynde,

Lest Chichi-vache you swolwe in hir entraile.”


Chaucer: LʹEnvoye de Chaucer, v. 9064.

The French chiche-face means “thin-face.” Lydgate wrote a poem entitled Bycorne and Chichevache.

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Chevalier dIndustrie
Chevalier du Brouillard (Le)
Chevaux de Frise (French)
Cheveril
Chevy Chase
Chiabreresco (Italian)
Chiar-oscuro [pronounce ke-ar-ros-ku-ro]
Chibiabos
Chibouque (A)
Chic
Chichivache
Chick-a-biddy (A)
Chicken (plural chickens)
Chicken of St. Nicholas (The)
Chicken-hearted
Chien
Chien de Jean de Nivelle (Le)
Child
Child of God (A)
Child of the Cord
Childe

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